Ser. No. 09/282,849, entitled xe2x80x9cSERVO CONTROL LOOPS UTILIZING DELTA-SIGMA ANALOG TO DIGITAL CONVERTERS AND SYSTEMS AND METHODS USING THE SAMExe2x80x9d filed Mar. 31, 1999, currently pending.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to optical disk systems and in particular to an optical disk pickups using current mode signal exchanges and systems and methods using the same.
2. Description of the Art
Optical disks have been used for many years for the mass storage of digital data. Some well known examples of optical disks include digital audio compact disks (CD-DAs), compact disk read-only memories (CD-ROMs) and digital video disks (DVD-RAMs, -ROM, +RW, xe2x88x92RW, CD-R, CD-RWs). Essentially, digital data is stored on a plastic disk with a reflective surface as a series of pits and land in the reflective surface (land). During playback, a beam of light is directed to the rotating reflective surface and the intensity of the photons reflected from the pits and land are measured. A modulated electrical signal is generated that can be processed and the data stored on the disk recovered.
A basic configuration for the read (playback) mechanism has developed over a number of years. This configuration includes a pickup or sled which is movable so that a laser, a lens, and array of photodiodes can be positioned directly over the data being read off of the disk. As the disk turns, the photons from the laser are reflected off the pits and land and received by the photodiodes which generate electrical signals having a current that is proportional to photon density.
The multiple signals output from the photodiodes represent both data detection and servo alignment information. The summation of the high speed data channel signal, which may be composed of the signals A+B+C+D from an astigmatic photodiode array, results in a composite signal with relevant information between approximately 10 KHz and 60 MHz for current DVD players. Servo information contained in these signals however, is at frequencies less than 1 MHz down to dc (for current spindle rotation rates of  less than 6000 RPM). Because of these information rates, the data channel signal is sometimes AC-coupled to the data detection and summation circuitry mounted on an accompanying stationary circuit board. Otherwise, some degradation of the dynamic range must be accepted due to the dc content of the incoming signal.
The typical current signal generated by a photodiode is on the order of 1 xcexcA. Transferring this signal directly down a flexible cable to the stationary circuit board can seriously degrade the signal to noise ratio due to magnetic or electrical interference. Hence, transimpedance amplifiers, which convert the current from the photodiode array into a voltage for driving the cable, are mounted in the pickup to minimize noise and interference effects. The data detection, error correction, and servo systems are kept off of the pickup primarily to reduce the physical size and mass of the sled.
One of the primary concerns about transferring data across the flexible cable as a voltage is maintaining a good signal to noise ratio, in the presence of interference. A good signal to noise ratio can be achieved by insuring that the output of the pickup electronics are driven across the flexible cable using a sufficiently high supply voltage. Notwithstanding, it would be desirable to be able to reduce the supply voltage to save power; however, to do so would reduce the amplitude of the signals being transmitted across the cable and hence reduce the signal to noise ratio. What is needed therefore are methods and circuitry which maintain the signal to noise ratio for signals being transmitted across the flexible cable, even if the supply voltage is reduced.
An optical disk pickup system is disclosed including an array of photodiodes for converting photons reflected from an optical disk into a plurality of electrical signals each representing a channel. Driving circuitry is provided for driving at least one of the electrical signals as a current across a conductor of a flexible cable. A low impedance load converts the electrical signal driven across the conductor as a current into a voltage for further processing.
The present inventive teachings provide a number of advantages over the prior art. Among other things, by driving the flexible cable using current rather than a voltage, the voltage on the supply rails can be reduced significantly. Specifically, the voltage headroom can be reduced without substantially affecting the signal to noise ratio. Moreover, data and servo control signals being transmitted can be easily summed to reduce the number of conductors required on the system flexible cable, also without exceeding the available voltage headroom.